2015 Domaine d'Ardhuy Vosne Romanee Les Chaumes, 3-bottle Lot

Domaine d’Ardhuy was established in Clos des Langres in 1947, when Gabriel d’Ardhuy met a young woman who was the daughter of Burgundy vineyard owners, and they married and started an estate. Today it is run by Mireille d’Ardhuy-Santiard, one of the couple’s seven daughters. Another daughter runs the family’s estate in the Rhone Valley, La Cabotte. Domaine d’Ardhuy owns 105 acres in the Cote de Beaune, including six Grand Cru parcels and 15 Premier Cru parcels. Important parcels include Grand Crus in Corton Charlemagne, Clos de Vougeot and Corton. The Premier Crus are in Puligny, Volnay, Pommard, Beaune, Savigny, Aloxe-Corton, Ladoix and Vosne-Romanee. Clive Coates has written that the domain was “reborn in 2003” when the contract the family had with Chateau Corton-Andre ended, and a new generation began focusing on lower yields and other quality-producing techniques. Today, says Coates, the domain is “’a new star.”

Les Chaumes is a 16.1-acre Premier Cru vineyard in the Vosne-Romanee appellation of Burgundy’s Cote de Nuits. Located on the appellation’s southern boundary, it is just to the west of Aux Malconsorts. The slight slope of the vineyard makes for good drainage, and the soil is a rich mix of clay and alluvial soil.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.